This Snapshot uses data from the 1999 and 2002 National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) to examine the health insurance coverage of low-income citizen children. In 2002, 72 percent of all children with noncitizen parents were themselves citizens and thus qualified for benefits on the same terms as citizen children with citizen parents. The Snapshot also looks at differences in health insurance coverage between children whose parents or other caregivers responded to the survey in English and those whose family responded in Spanish. Limited English skills – like lack of citizenship – may prevent parents from applying for public benefits for their children.
